title: Extremely increased serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels caused by new or resistant infections to previous antibiotics in chronic lung diseases.
abstract: In this paper, we describe 72-year-old female patient without evidence of malignant disease presented with significantly elevated serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels by respiratory infections. She was diagnosed with respiratory infections due to Mycobacterium avium complex and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The serum CA 19-9 levels remarkably increased (1,453-5,300 U/mL; reference range, <37 U/mL) by respiratory infection and abruptly decreased (357-534 U/mL) whenever infection was controlled by specific treatments. This case suggests that serum CA 19-9 levels may be used as a diagnostic marker to indicate new or resistant infections to previous antibiotics in chronic lung diseases without significant changes in chest X-ray findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Daejeon Veterans Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Bo Mi
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung Su
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ju Ock
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: CA19-9 Antigen; Infection; Lung Neoplasms